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View Full Version : [Wipz]: Malaz: Meanis/rashan and the seven cities



oxinabox
2009-08-08, 10:09 PM
Ok this is wip thread.
I'm asking from some help balancing part of a system.
It's based on steven erikson's Malazan book ofthe fallen:

]now this doesn't directly affect tyhios question, but it's not d20, (though it may end up using d20s), it's skill system is vaguely d20...

It's magic system is what i'm working on now.
Multiclassing is without penalty,
a player reaches max power at lvl 20 (currently) when they will ascend, (it's also possible to ascend at a lower lvl, haven't worked out ).
After lvl 20 you will continue gaining power, but you won't be mortal anymore.
You'll play be the Ascendent roule book maybe (sounds d20 so far right?)

But this important part is: Multiclassing without penatly.
Most classes won't have a full progression up to lvl 20.
MAges definitly Won't.

There are two classes which you may learn magic through:
Priest and mage (also Denul Healer, but they're using a differn't system)

Priest and mage lvls will stack to determine the highest lvl spell you can cast.;

Each mage or priest select a warren (read elemental school of magic)
Any you can select a differnet warren each time you lvl (i'm still working on how this will affect you class feature progression)
Or (more normally) you can choose to continue advancing in your current warren.

Now your spell lvl ranges from 1-10.
also zero but that will be free with one
currently considering you roll 2 d2's* the spell lvl.
and 1 for lvl 0 spells
If the d2 rolls heads take that as 1, if it rolls tails take that as 0.
then subtract that from your Mental Fatigue. which will start having physical effects when it gets too low.

Now with lvl x spells won't be preset spells as such.
It will be more like
you can control xd6 worth of that element.
So for example using Telas (warren of fire) a lvl 7 spell you could create 7 1d6 fireballs.
or 1 7d6 fireball.
or create a firesheild agaist nonmagical fire 7d6 radius, (that lasts 1 round, sustain standard cast againg).

A warren reaches max power at warren lvl 10.
when they are consider'd a High mage of their warren.
Mages of High X, are incrediable.
A empire might have 6 casters of High Denul (including both High Denul Healers, and Mages of High Denul - both exist seperatly: differnt class features and skill list).
Now using High Denul you can regrow limbs as a standard action.
bring someone back from the brink of death in so many rounds.
and If you play you feats (or merits) right heal you self faster than any one person can damage you.


Some other clases other than mage grant wartren casting, i forgot.
Claw, (assaisins) get to chose between, getting a free warren lvl every couple of lvls. (in Measnis (illusion) or rashan (Darkness -> shadow -> Hiding) )or getting some really great combat feature (possibly sneak attack (or maybe brutal attack) with d8's, that would balance quit well I think)


OK I think that's enoguh backgropund info.

Now Human's have subraces (only humans can use warren magic),
Include
Napan: Blue skin, bonus the Strength.
Wikian: Large bonus to Ride.
But more relevant to my post:
Seven Cities:
People of the Seven cities can't tell menis (illusion) from rashan (darkness=hiding), so they can cast both as the same warren.
Because historically they have always thought of them as the same thing (well, ever since minis appeared)

Now that is an awesome power, doubling you magic potential.
Two problems:
Everyone who is an Illusionist will want to be Seven Cities.
Esp Claw, but really very few Claw were from the Seven Cities.
Maybe i could counter by requireing them to take there first lvl in Priest (Priests are muchmore common in the seen cities than mages).
But then for balance reasons i'ld also have to make priest much less powerfull at lvl 1 than mage (maybe even denying them first lvl spells, which would screw over people alternating priest and mage lvls)

or i can counter with a feat available at first lvl: seven cities upbringing: you may consider menis and rashan as the same warren, as you were educated by a tutor/priest from seven cities from a very young age.

But the other problem is that everyone will consider Seven Cities to be a race only for Illusionists.
which isn't right, thet also had great rider's and warriors.

And probably the only place where Spirtwalkers are trained.
Spirtwalkers use an different form of magic again (there are 4 or 5 other the magic systems other than Warrens)
That involves singing, and at high lvls can cause people to ascend at lower lvl than 20 (not easily).

I could divide seven cities in to civilized and Tribal.
Giving civilised a the meanis/rashan feature, and trible, the rider warrior features.
Still creates balance problems.


BTW i apologise for my inconsistent spelling of minas, i can't remember how it's meant to be spelled

AstralFire
2009-08-11, 09:58 PM
I tried to restate your opening post for additional ease of reading (what I started is below), but it's very, very hard. I apologize, but it is difficult to read complex posts without much organization and with spelling errors. I would really like to help out, but in addition to knowing nothing about the literature you're basing this on, this is just hard to read.

Please take a look at this, slow down a bit, and organize your thoughts together. You move between discussion of multiclassing and magic freely without much transition, and that's really hard to follow. I would suggest starting at the system's basis, and then elaborating upon specific elements. We don't know much about the rules, and you can't treat any section of a game ruleset in isolation.

Additionally, from what I have read, your system does appear to have a lot of derivation from d20, even sharing its terminology. Now, there are many reasons to break away from d20's framework - no system is perfect - but you should fully weigh the merits and drawbacks of making a mechanical change. What exactly are your intended goals in your revision (or breakaway, as the case may be) of the basic rules in relation to this setting?


Okay, this is a WIP thread.
I'm asking from some help balancing part of a system that is based on Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen. This is not a d20 system (even if I end up using d20s), but its skill system bears some resemblance to d20's.

The magic system is what I'm working on now, and it's tied to my work with multiclassing.

Multiclassing has no penalty. A player reaches maximum power at level 20, when they automatically ascend. (It will also be possible to ascend at a lower level; I haven't worked this out yet.) The game will continue after level 20, but you will no longer be mortal - you might have to play by an 'Ascendant Rulebook' (sorta like the Epic Level Handbook - sounds like d20 so far, right?)

But here's the important part: Multiclassing without penalty. Most classes won't even have a full progression up to level 20, and mages definitely will not. Multiclassing is an integral part of this system.

There are two classes which can teach you the primary magic system, Priest and Mage. There'll be a class for Denul Healers, but they'll be on a separate system that won't advance the normal casting progression. Priest and mage levels, on the other hand, will stack to determine the strongest spells you can cast.

Each Mage or Priest selects a warren (an elemental school of magic) at each level - you'll be able to pick a different warren each time you level, though I'm still working on how this will affect class feature progression.

Spell levels will range from 0 to 10. 0th level spells will be freely castable. Higher level spells require you to roll 2(d2-1) per Spell Level, and you add the result to your Mental Fatigue - this can have adverse physical effects when it rises too high.

Unlike d20, spells won't be premade sets of effects. Instead, each one allows you to control a variable number of your associated warren (elemental school). For example, when using Telas, the warren of fire, with a level 7 spell you could create one of the following:

Seven 1d6 fireballs.
One 7d6 fireball.
A shield against nonmagical fire with a radius of 7d6 and lasts one round.


Casters reach maximum power when they obtain Warren Level 10, which makes them into a high mage of their warren. High Mages are incredible and rare; an empire might have only a handful of casters of High Denul (including both Denul Healers and Mages of High Denul - they work as different classes with different features and skill lists.)